Chapter 114: The Slime King

"Welcome to the Tamer’s Guild. How may we assist you today?" When they approached what appeared to be the reception desk, the guild employee greeted them pleasantly and looked toward Igor and Viktor.

"We’re looking for a tamed monster that is compatible with this boy. We’re considering purchasing one. Would it be possible for you to show us the monsters currently available through the guild?" Viktor placed a hand gently on Qiu Nuoya’s back as he explained.

"Is it for that young master?" The guild employee looked slightly puzzled as he glanced at Qiu Nuoya, but he quickly recovered and put on a friendly smile. "What kind of monster are you looking for? If you simply want a harmless monster as a pet, you could probably catch one easily outside the city without going through our guild."

"If possible, we’d like something large enough to carry all of us through the air. Do you have anything like that?"

"All of you...?" The guild employee hesitated. "In that case, you would need a large bird type monster. But, young master, have you ever had a tamed monster before?"

"Ah, yes. Sort of."

"May I ask what species it was?"

"It’s a Slime."

At Qiu Nuoya’s answer, the employee simply repeated, "A Slime?" He then looked troubled as he glanced between Igor and Viktor. "Are you really planning to purchase such a large tamed monster for this boy? Tamed monsters are living creatures. They cannot survive unless their tamer properly takes care of them. Is this child capable of doing that? We are certainly in the business of selling monsters, but we cannot knowingly sell one only for it to end up being neglected or unhappy. If possible, I would recommend finding a tamed monster that requires less care and is more suitable for the young master..."

Qiu Nuoya had expected this. He himself had been wondering whether taking on such a large tamed monster all at once would be too much for him. Naturally, the people selling the monsters would have to be cautious as well. So, he asked, "Would it be possible for me to at least take a look? I’m only considering purchasing one for now. If it seems like something I can’t handle, I’ll give up on the idea."

"Well, if that’s the case..." The guild employee agreed and led them around to the back of the building.

Behind the Tamer’s Guild stood a large structure. Inside, various beast type monsters were being cared for in cages of different sizes.

Some of the monsters were species Qiu Nuoya had seen before, while others were completely unfamiliar to him. They were probably still close to their wild state. When they saw Qiu Nuoya and the others, some bared their fangs threateningly, while others watched them warily, clearly unable to settle down.

"The monsters seem unusually restless today. Please don’t get too close. We cannot be held responsible if you get injured." The guild employee continued explaining the various types of monsters as they walked through the facility.

Carnivorous and aggressive monsters were generally suited for combat, while relatively docile and easy to handle monsters were less useful in battle but better suited for tasks such as transporting goods.

There were many different reasons for tamers to keep monsters. Since Qiu Nuoya and the others made their living as adventurers, he had naturally assumed that tamers were people who controlled combat oriented monsters and fought alongside them. However, there were also many tamers who used monsters for various kinds of businesses.

[ Nuoya... Where are we? ]

Perhaps sensing the presence of so many monsters, Mochi, who had been sleeping inside Qiu Nuoya’s robe, poked its head out and hopped onto his shoulder.

The tiny crown was still perched on Mochi’s head as usual, making it look incredibly cute.

"Huh? Ah! That Slime!" The guild employee suddenly leaned forward, staring intently at Mochi. "Ah, I see! A Slime! So you were that Slime King!"

"What is a Slime King?" Qiu Nuoya tilted his head in confusion after suddenly being called by a completely unfamiliar name.

Meanwhile, the guild employee stared excitedly at Mochi and began speaking rapidly. "There was a rumor going around among tamers that there was a boy in the dungeon who controlled a very unusual slime. Apparently, he was known by the nickname ’Slime King’! They said the Slime he controlled wore a crown despite being a Slime, so that’s how the nickname came about. But since you never showed up at the Tamer’s Guild, I eventually assumed it was just a rumor."

So he had somehow become the subject of a strange rumor in the most unexpected place.

And he had even been given a ridiculous nickname!

Slime King?

That made it sound as though Qiu Nuoya himself were the king of slimes!

The Slime King was Mochi, not him!

As one would expect from a tamer, the guild employee was extremely interested in the unusual slime and examined Mochi from every angle.

Until moments ago, he had been speaking politely to Qiu Nuoya as a customer, but he had become so excited that his manner of speaking had completely changed. He now sounded as though he were talking to an old friend.

Qiu Nuoya actually found that easier to deal with.

"I heard that your slime can use magic. Is that really true?"

"Mochi doesn’t use magic. It can split itself apart and grow larger, though."

"Oh? Really? That’s different from what I heard. I was told it could unleash some incredibly powerful magic."

"Ah, if that’s what you heard, then you probably saw Mochi absorb and amplify my magic. If you had to put a name to it, I suppose you could call it a combination technique between Mochi and me."

Yes, that was Mochi’s flamethrower during the Rank E test. Qiu Nuoya had wondered whether, if Mochi could do something like that, it might be possible to have it absorb other spells first and then release them to produce even more powerful effects.